By the time Yuri got out of the shower, Victor had thrown the drapes back even further and pulled Yuri's workout clothes and trainers out of the bag, helpfully placing them on the comforter of the bed nearest the window, that was still untouched.
Perfect and pristine. As smooth as when it was made the day before, when they checked in.
(How did that ... ?)
Strange. Stranger still, how Yuri doesn't meet his eyes when he leaves the bathroom, towel-wrapped with soaking hair, but if they're going to eat before the morning practice, they have to get down to breakfast, so Victor shelves it for now, and settles for an icy blast of water from the showerhead that's a poor substitute for a frozen-over swimming hole, but manages to wake him up completely and spark his circulation, so he can think more clearly as he's brushing his teeth and swishing his mouth out.
The Cup of China. Yuri's first real pass against a slate of elite competitors, but only a few are real challengers: Chris, of course. Georgi, if he's gotten his head out of his ass and learned to focus. Leo de Igliesia won Skate America, but his program is nowhere near the intricacy and technicality of Yuri's.
Possibly Phichit, the Thai skater, with a good showing already and a burning desire to bring his country to the table.
To win, Yuri will need to be perfect. There's no room for the mistakes he made back in September: it's time for him to step up and be the skater Victor knows he can be.
Except, once they're in the rink, and Yuri is in the midst of his practice rounds, he doesn't look like that skater. Tight in the legs, speed a little too uncontrolled. Nothing dialed in the way it should be, none of the flow and grace that make him stand out.
Add that to how jumpy he'd been in the hotel hall, and downstairs at breakfast, and how quiet he's been, and it makes Victor frown as he leans on the rink wall, eyes narrowing. "Your shoulders are dipping," he scolds, when Yuri comes close enough to hear, bangs sticking to his forehead. "You'll overbalance and lose it. Take it one element at a time."
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Perfect and pristine. As smooth as when it was made the day before, when they checked in.
(How did that ... ?)
Strange. Stranger still, how Yuri doesn't meet his eyes when he leaves the bathroom, towel-wrapped with soaking hair, but if they're going to eat before the morning practice, they have to get down to breakfast, so Victor shelves it for now, and settles for an icy blast of water from the showerhead that's a poor substitute for a frozen-over swimming hole, but manages to wake him up completely and spark his circulation, so he can think more clearly as he's brushing his teeth and swishing his mouth out.
The Cup of China. Yuri's first real pass against a slate of elite competitors, but only a few are real challengers: Chris, of course. Georgi, if he's gotten his head out of his ass and learned to focus. Leo de Igliesia won Skate America, but his program is nowhere near the intricacy and technicality of Yuri's.
Possibly Phichit, the Thai skater, with a good showing already and a burning desire to bring his country to the table.
To win, Yuri will need to be perfect. There's no room for the mistakes he made back in September: it's time for him to step up and be the skater Victor knows he can be.
Except, once they're in the rink, and Yuri is in the midst of his practice rounds, he doesn't look like that skater. Tight in the legs, speed a little too uncontrolled. Nothing dialed in the way it should be, none of the flow and grace that make him stand out.
Add that to how jumpy he'd been in the hotel hall, and downstairs at breakfast, and how quiet he's been, and it makes Victor frown as he leans on the rink wall, eyes narrowing. "Your shoulders are dipping," he scolds, when Yuri comes close enough to hear, bangs sticking to his forehead. "You'll overbalance and lose it. Take it one element at a time."